Hackers Compromise Valheim Discord Servers; Lockdown Enforced

Hackers recently dropped a virus on Valheim Discord servers, bringing them to a temporary lockdown.

Before this security incident, threat actors took over the game’s forum on Jan 29. They then leveraged their position to access administrator accounts, spreading phishing links masquerading as legitimate, harmless content.

Threat Actors Push Epsilon Stealer on Valheim Discord Server

Once accessed, the rogue links would redirect victims to a malicious page, infecting their devices with the infamous “Epsilon Stealer” malware. The stealer harvests data and cookies from the web browsers of compromised devices, including personal data and account credentials.

The impact of a stealer malware infestation is double-edged, as threat actors often leverage stolen data to gain unauthorized access to compromised accounts but may also bundle it up and sell it on dark web marketplaces.

Phishing and Server Disruption

The scope of the attack, however, seems broader, as the perpetrators didn’t stop at phishing. They attempted to disrupt the server by banning users and deleting channels. Iron Gate, the game’s developer, promptly responded by temporarily locking down the Discord server to mitigate damage and prevent further unauthorized access.

“Time of incident: The breach began on 29th Jan. around 18:58 / 6:58pm CET and was stopped 10 minutes after,” reads Iron Gate’s security advisory on the game’s Steam forum. “What happened: Multiple Discord accounts with admin permissions were hijacked. A phishing link was spammed containing an infected file. Additionally, an attempt was made to delete all channels and ban users. Current status: Iron Gate is working on restoring the Discord. Thank you for your patience.”

Crisis Averted, Iron Gate Says

The announcement also states that users can safely return to the Discord server, as there’s no longer any danger. However, users should keep an eye out for suspicious activity, avoid clicking links, and refuse any invitations from the recently compromised server.

Furthermore, people who downloaded “Windows Boot Manager.exe” should delete the file immediately, as it’s associated with the infamous “Epsilon Stealer” malware.

Protecting Against Phishing and Other Digital Threats

Specialized security software such as Bitdefender Ultimate Security can protect your device against intrusions, including viruses, worms, Trojans, spyware, zero-day exploits, rootkits, ransomware, and other digital threats. It also encompasses an anti-phishing module that accurately detects phishing attempts and prevents you from landing on malicious pages.